Car wash dollie assembly

Abstract

A dollie assembly for a vehicle wash includes a center link configured for attachment to a drive mechanism of the vehicle wash and having a throughhole with a first bushing extending therethrough along an axis between opposite ends with cylindrical bearing surfaces on opposite sides of the center link. A tire pushing roller is disposed on each of the bearing surfaces for rotation about the axis. A pair of track rollers are supported for rotation about the axis. The track rollers are disposed on an opposite side of the pair of tire pushing rollers from one another such that the pair of tire pushing rollers are between the pair of track rollers. The pair of track rollers are rotatable about the axis independently from pair of tire pushing rollers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A dollie assembly for a vehicle wash, comprising:
 a center link having a first connecting portion configured for attachment to a drive mechanism of the vehicle wash and a second connection portion having a throughhole; 
 a first bushing disposed in said throughhole, said first bushing extending along a central axis between opposite ends and having cylindrical bearing surfaces on opposite sides of said center link; 
 a pair of tire pushing rollers having a first diameter, one of said tire pushing rollers being disposed on one of said bearing surfaces for rotation about said central axis on one side of said center link and the other of said tire pushing rollers being disposed on the other of said bearing surfaces for rotation about said central axis on the other side of said center link; and 
 a pair of track rollers having a second diameter less than said first diameter, said pair of track rollers being supported for rotation about said central axis, each of said track rollers being disposed on an opposite side of said pair of tire pushing rollers from one another such that said pair of tire pushing rollers are between said pair of track rollers, wherein said pair of track rollers are rotatable about said central axis independently from said pair of tire pushing rollers. 
 
     
     
       2. The dollie assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said pair of tire pushing rollers are rotatable independently from one another. 
     
     
       3. The dollie assembly of  claim 2 , wherein said pair of track rollers are rotatable independently from one another. 
     
     
       4. The dollie assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said pair of track rollers are constructed of a rubber material. 
     
     
       5. The dollie assembly of  claim 4 , wherein said pair of track rollers have a tread pattern to facilitate avoidance of debris from becoming embedded in said track rollers. 
     
     
       6. The dollie assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said first bushing has a through passage extending along said central axis and further including a first axle member disposed through said through passage, said first axle member being configured to rotate relative to said first bushing. 
     
     
       7. The dollie assembly of  claim 6 , further including second bushings disposed in said pair of track rollers, said second bushings being configured to co-rotate with said first axle member. 
     
     
       8. The dollie assembly of  claim 6 , wherein said pair of track rollers have inner sides facing said tire pushing rollers, with each of said inner sides having a counterbore, and each of said opposite ends of said first bushing being disposed in a separate one of said counterbores. 
     
     
       9. The dollie assembly of  claim 8 , wherein said pair of track rollers are maintained in clearance relation with said first bushing. 
     
     
       10. The dollie assembly of  claim 8 , further including a seal member disposed between an outer surface said first bushing and an inner surface of each of said counterbores. 
     
     
       11. The dollie assembly of  claim 10 , wherein said seal members are disposed in annular grooves of said bushing. 
     
     
       12. The dollie assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said track rollers rotate about the central axis via an internal bearing surface defined by the first bushing, and said tire pushing rollers rotate about the central axis via said cylindrical bearing surfaces of the first bushing. 
     
     
       13. A dollie assembly for a vehicle wash, comprising:
 a center link having a first connecting portion configured for attachment to a drive mechanism of the vehicle wash and a second connection portion having a throughhole; 
 a first bushing fixed in said throughhole against relative movement with said center link, said first bushing having a through passage extending along a central axis between opposite ends and having cylindrical bearing surfaces on opposite sides of said center link; 
 an axle member disposed through said through passage; 
 a pair of tire pushing rollers having a first diameter, one of said tire pushing rollers being disposed on one of said bearing surfaces for rotation about said central axis on one side of said center link and the other of said tire pushing rollers being disposed on the other of said bearing surfaces for rotation about said central axis on the other side of said center link; and 
 a pair of track rollers having a second diameter less than said first diameter, said pair of track rollers being supported for rotation about said axle member and about said central axis, each of said track rollers being disposed on an opposite side of said pair of tire pushing rollers from one another such that said pair of tire pushing rollers are between said pair of track rollers, wherein said pair of track rollers are rotatable about said central axis independently from said pair of tire pushing rollers. 
 
     
     
       14. The dollie assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said axle member is rotatable relative to said first bushing. 
     
     
       15. The dollie assembly of  claim 13 , further including second bushings disposed in said pair of track rollers, said second bushings being configured to co-rotate with said axle member. 
     
     
       16. The dollie assembly of  claim 13 , wherein said pair of track rollers have inner sides facing said tire pushing rollers, with each of said inner sides having a counterbore, and each of said opposite ends of said first bushing being disposed in a separate one of said counterbores. 
     
     
       17. The dollie assembly of  claim 16 , wherein said pair of track rollers are maintained in clearance relation with said first bushing. 
     
     
       18. The dollie assembly of  claim 17 , further including a seal member disposed between an outer surface said first bushing and an inner surface of each of said counterbores. 
     
     
       19. The dollie assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the pair of track rollers are constructed of a rubber material. 
     
     
       20. The dollie assembly of  claim 19 , wherein the track rollers have a tread pattern to minimize the embedding of debris in the track rollers. 
     
     
       21. A dollie assembly for a vehicle wash, comprising:
 a center link having a first connecting portion configured for attachment to a drive mechanism of the vehicle wash and a second connection portion having a throughhole; 
 a first bushing fixed in said throughhole against relative movement with said center link, said first bushing having a through passage extending along a central axis between opposite ends and having cylindrical bearing surfaces on opposite sides of said center link; 
 a pair of tire pushing rollers having a first diameter, one of said tire pushing rollers being disposed on one of said bearing surfaces for rotation about said central axis on one side of said center link and the other of said tire pushing rollers being disposed on the other of said bearing surfaces for rotation about said central axis on the other side of said center link; and 
 a pair of track rollers having a second diameter less than said first diameter, said pair of track rollers being supported for rotation about said central axis, each of said track rollers being disposed on an opposite side of said pair of tire pushing rollers from one another such that said pair of tire pushing rollers are between said pair of track rollers, wherein said pair of track rollers are rotatable about said central axis independently from said pair of tire pushing rollers; 
 the pair of track rollers including a tread pattern to minimize any embedding of debris in said pair of track rollers. 
 
     
     
       22. The dollie assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the pair of track rollers are constructed of a rubber material. 
     
     
       23. The dollie assembly of  claim 21 , further including second bushings disposed in said pair of track rollers with a second axle member extending through said second bushings, said second bushings being configured to co-rotate with a first axle member that extends through the through passage of the first bushing. 
     
     
       24. The dollie assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said pair of track rollers have inner sides facing said tire pushing rollers, with each of said inner sides having a counterbore, and each of said opposite ends of said first bushing being disposed in a separate one of said counterbores. 
     
     
       25. The dollie assembly of  claim 24 , wherein said pair of track rollers are maintained in clearance relation with said first bushing. 
     
     
       26. The dollie assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said track rollers rotate about the central axis via an internal bearing surface defined by the first bushing, and said tire pushing rollers rotate about the central axis via said cylindrical bearing surfaces of the first bushing.